Farmers, herders feud: Anambra govt’s nightmare

The incessant crisis between Fulani herdsmen and the Mmiata, Anam farmers in Anambra West Local Government Area of Anambra State has continued to generate serious concern for the government, community and security operatives in the state. The state government has been deploying every possible legal means to ensure peace and harmony in the community. In […]

The incessant crisis between Fulani herdsmen and the Mmiata, Anam farmers in Anambra West Local Government Area of Anambra State has continued to generate serious concern for the government, community and security operatives in the state.

The state government has been deploying every possible legal means to ensure peace and harmony in the community.

In December last year, there was a clash that led to the death of some farmers as well as herders, and just last week, there was an attack on the community in which six people were reportedly killed and beheaded. About 30 people were reportedly wounded and are receiving treatments in the hospitals.

According to a resident of the community, Mr. Orjiako Nnaluo, the herdsmen attacked some farming settlements in the early hours of the day and unleashed mayhem.

He added that before people knew what was happening, six people were dead and about 30 left with various degrees of injuries.

“The herdsmen stormed the farm settlements known as Agweopia, Iyiogbu and Iyinkolo camps around 5:40am in the morning and started killing people, burning houses and raped many women,” he said.

He called on the state government to quickly come to their rescue, adding that farmers living in the zone have deserted the area.

According to him, the farmers were trying to recover from the previous attack by the herdsmen which claimed three lives.

He said Governor Willie Obiano was aware of the case and had promised to resolve the crisis.

The state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C-Don Adinuba, who expressed sadness over the attack, urged the people of the area to remain calm; while assuring that the state government would do everything possible to end the frequent attacks by herdsmen in Anambra West local government.

In a quick response, the Anambra State Police Command deployed combined security operatives to secure the community.

In a statement, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Haruna Mohammad, said the Commissioner of Police Mustapha Dandaura deployed combined security operatives and at the same time ordered full-scale investigation into the matter with a viewing to bringing the culprits to justice.

“The command deployed two units of mobile policemen and other regular policemen to the area. We are working in conjunction with other security agencies in the operation.

“Three persons were killed in the attack by suspected herdsmen. But we are on top of the situation and I can assure you that normalcy has returned to the place,” he said.

On whether any arrest had been made, he said he would not like to speak on issues that might jeopardize investigations into the incident, saying that the outcome of the investigation would be made public at the appropriate time.

However, Adinuba said Governor Willie Obiano, who is on a trip overseas, had directed the Anambra State Security Council to bring the crisis to an end immediately and find out the immediate and remote causes, as well as proffer suggestions on how to address them so that a similar crisis will not erupt in the state in future.

He said following the governor’s directive, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, the State Director of the Department of State Security, the Commanders of the Army and Naval formations in the state, the state Commandant of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security as well as the Special Assistant to the Governor on Security led other State Security Council members to quickly resolve the dispute.

The commissioner, who disclosed that during the meeting with the leaders of Anam Town and the herdsmen, meaningful decisions were taken, noted that the crisis was precipitated by the entry of some herdsmen from a neighbouring state without observing the protocol guiding the conduct of herdsmen in the state.

“They entered Anam without informing the local leaders of the herdsmen association who would have registered them as members and informed them of the rules of doing cattle business in Anambra State. The consequence was that the new entrants violated the rules and caused a breach of peace.

“Anambra State has for years adopted a code of conduct for herdsmen and crop farmers in the state which has proved exceedingly effective in determining the excellent relations between these groups of people because both the spirit and letter of the code are widely acknowledged to be just and fair and the implementation done evenhandedly and transparently. The faithful implementation of this code is considered one of the reasons our state has over the years been free of the clashes between herdsmen and crop farmers experienced in different parts of the country,” he stated.

While commiserating with victims, he said the state government would not leave any person or group of persons in doubt about the determination and capacity of the state government to bring the culprits to book and make them feel the full weight of the law.

He also accused some sections of the media of exaggerating the incident in their reports.

According to him, these sections of the media should have done a better job if they had bothered to speak to any government official to obtain the facts and have a full picture of what transpired.

He frowned at a situation where a matter as sensitive and grave as the security situation in the state could be written and published without the authors seeking to obtain the government’s position.

Also speaking on the incident, the Anglican Bishop of Mbamili  Diocese, the  Rt. Rev Henry Okechukwu Okeke, condemned the killings, describing it as not only unfortunate and obnoxious but inhuman.

“This is a very unfortunate incident because these are core farmers. They are the food basket of Anambra State. Definitely, it is going to affect not only the economy of our state but the country generally. Following the incident, farmers have left their farmlands. The Fulani are also on the run. So, it is an unfortunate situation. I want to say it clearly that the Federal Government has the key. They must not sit down and watch people being killed by the herdsmen, and their farms being destroyed. Fulani men have been around here for some years now but the recent destruction of farms has brought about unhealthy situations.

“The government of Anambra State instructed farmers through their Igwes to allow herdsmen graze their cattle but the word ‘allow’ must be interpreted because when you say allow, what do you mean?

“Is it to allow them to graze and destroy farms crops? Is it to allow them to continue to cause trouble? If you allow someone to stay in your land and do his business, there must be restrictions. There must be a border line; of course you know that 99.9 percent of Anambra West people are farmers. Do you expect farmers to fold their arms and watch the herdsmen kill them and destroy their farms? They have accommodated the herdsmen over the years but the herders have turned against them, killing and maiming their hosts,” he said.

The cleric, who urged the youth in the community not to take laws into their hands, also lamented the lack of presence of security men in Anambra West, describing it as worrisome.

The Anambra West Youth President, Mr. John David, has called on the youths of the area to remain calm and law-abiding, saying that the issue would soon be addressed.

Meanwhile, the Anambra State House of Assembly on Tuesday accused the Federal Government of backing and supporting the gruesome killings orchestrated by Fulani herdsmen across the country.